Ian Bruce

Defence Correspondent

COLONEL Tim Collins, the British officer who made world headlines with his rousing eve-of-battle speech before the invasion of Iraq, has been cleared of war crimes in a preliminary report by the army's special investigation branch.

Military sources confirmed yesterday that claims by Re Biastre, a part-time US army civil affairs major, that Colonel Collins had mistreated Iraqi prisoners, threatened civilians, and ''pistol-whipped'' a local Iraqi official were unfounded and ''based probably on a personal vendetta''.

Major Stan Coerr, a US Marine officer in charge of an ''Anglico'' team attached to the Royal Irish Regiment throughout the campaign to co-

ordinate American air support and prevent ''friendly fire'' incidents, said the entire episode was triggered by spite.

Major Biastre, 37, a school counsellor in upstate New York, had been humiliated verbally and arrested for insubordination by Colonel Collins when he breached orders, and then argued with his British superior.

Major Coerr described his fellow-countryman's allegations as ''ludicrous'' and ''spiteful'' and said he would serve with Colonel Collins ''any time, anywhere''. He has also volunteered to testify in the colonel's favour in any inquiry.

Colonel Collins, now on leave after relinquishing command of 1st battalion, the Royal Irish Regiment, to await a new promoted post, still faces another inquiry into his style of leadership of the unit two years ago and an alleged ''climate of bullying'' by fellow officers which may have contributed to the suicide of 18-year-old Ranger Paul Cochrane in South Armagh in 2001.

Major Biastre was in charge of a detachment from the US 402nd civil affairs battalion in southern Iraq. His job was to smooth relations between the military and local civilians.

Colonel Collins had him placed under arrest for insubordination and demanded that he be demoted after he found Major Biastre handing out lollipops to children in the town of Al Rumailah in defiance of standing orders. British concern was that children would be at risk of being knocked down by army vehicles if they expected sweets to be handed out by anyone in uniform.

Major Coerr said yesterday: ''Biastre had a chip on his shoulder from the moment he arrived. All of us understood the order not to hand out candy, as it caused the children to run towards military vehicles.

''When Biastre violated the rule and Colonel Collins confronted him, he said something like 'you do your job and I'll do mine'. The colonel ordered him to stand to attention and salute a senior officer.

''Biastre did so reluctantly and sloppily. I think they call it 'dumb insolence' in the British army. When he continued to argue, he was arrested. That's what started the vendetta. It was pure spite. He was embarrassed about being humiliated in front of his own men.''

When Major Biastre was later summoned to Colonel Collins's headquarters, he was made to wait at attention for 45 minutes before being seen. He then submitted a 2400-word statement based on hearsay evidence to US authorities about the British colonel's alleged conduct towards Iraqi soldiers and civilians.

The statement also complained that British officers had described George Bush as a ''cowboy'' and were openly critical of US methods and competence after a series of ''friendly fire'' tragedies.

The main allegation was that Colonel Collins had led a party to the house of Ayoub Yousif Naser, a headmaster, and had struck him with his pistol, fired a shot into the floor, and kicked and punched him.

Mr Naser, who has not made any complaint, turned out to be a senior official in Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party. He also had two Kalashnikov rifles buried in his garden. Friends said yesterday that Colonel Collins, 43, felt he was being ''hung out to dry''.